By Annette Ramelsberger, Süddeutsche Zeitung, February 3 and
4, 2001, Number 28

Translation from German to English by Alice Morgenstern

A preface for the reader of "A Mute Life" by Alice Morgenstern,
Munich, Germany

At least once a year one of our leading newspapers, the "Süddeutsche
Zeitung", informs the readers of the situation of the Russian
German Aussiedler(s) and their old and new problems of integration.

So it is undoubtedly useful for the descendents of the Russian
Germans in America to learn something of these developments, especially
for those who plan to travel to Germany this summer and take part
in the "Bundestreffen der Landsmannschaft der Russlanddeutschen"
(the Meeting of the Aussiedler(s) in Stuttgart.

The greatest concern now days seems to be the increase of violence,
registered among the young Russian Germans. But it must be added
that acts of violence are being committed by many German adolescents
and young men. They are partly due to a new wave of rightwing- radicalism
and partly to a tendency to recklessness in general. And the problem
is not restricted to Germany alone.

Violence of young Aussiedler(s) ought to be seen and judged in
that context.
_________________________

Lahr is a community of about 44,000 inhabitants, and the fourth
part if them are Aussiedler(s). It lies in the Federal German State
of Baden-Württemberg, and it might be interesting to know that
it was precisely that part of Germany where many Russian Germans
originally came from. Two years ago a general inquiry was started
in Lahr: Which places were considered dangerous or unsafe. The majority
named "Kanadaring", although "Kanadaring" is
in no way more conspicuous than other streets, says Police Superintendent
Heinz Siefert.

Apparently the citizens have derived their feeling of unsafety
from the fact that "Kanadaring" is inhabited by 63% Aussiedler(s),
most of whom speak Russian and Russian only. They remain within
boundaries they have set up themselves, and to such an extent that
a social worker recently said to Siefert: "We don't have to
integrate them, they have found their own way of integration,"
meaning that they have established their own ghetto in the former
military quarters left behind after the departure of Canadian Armed
Forces who had been stationed there.

On the other hand: one example may suffice to show a common German
attitude. A young German father said quite innocently: "We
have found a very suitable building site for our family, it is well
away from the Russians."
Social workers explain their situation: they don't find any contact
to the groups of young Russians, who are loitering in streets and
at corners, drinking, sometimes bawling and apparently with no desire
to communicate with Germans.

According to police statistics the number of crimes committed by
very young Aussiedler(s) is rising fast throughout Germany, whereas
it can be said that Aussiedler(s) in general continue to be law-abiding
citizens.

In Bavaria a tendency has been noticed during the last three years
that the percentage of criminal offenses of Russian Germans has
reached a two-digit number, most alarming among adolescents. Children
aged between eleven and thirteen are more liable to be involved
than children of foreigners, according to the Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt
(the Central Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Bavaria).

The Kriminologisches Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen (the Institute
for Criminological Research), another Federal State, announced that
thefts and acts of violence have been increasing in the rural districts
with a considerable number of "Spätaussiedler(s)",
the latest immigrants. Even in the prisons the Russian Germans form
groups that stick together and appear as one body.

It must, however, be said that the Russian German immigrants had
a reputation of being peaceful and extremely industrious, working
hard even past working hours and building their houses for their
large families with their own hands in no time. Crimes: below average,
conspicuousness: nil. "On the whole this positive image still
shows the truth," says Policeman Siefert, "they toil like
coolies."

Flight after the Cultural Shock
But after the middle of the nineties integration became more difficult.
That was when the number of immigrants who spoke no German increased.
Consequently that gave rise to criminal offenses. In the Bayerisches
Landeskriminalamt (the Central Bureau of Criminal Investigation
in Bavaria) it has been ascertained that the first trespasses of
youngsters occur about two years after arriving in Germany. This
is exactly the time when they begin to be aware how hard it is to
adapt themselves to the conditions in this country. It makes matters
worse when they had no solid education and when their parents are
unemployed.

Jochen Welt, the Federal German Government Representative for the
Russian Germans doesn't make light of these difficulties. "The
problem is smouldering," he says. The greatest temptation for
the very young are drugs, the older ones commit acts of violence,
the tendency is rising. Welt is convinced that in order to prevent
crimes, more help is necessary. It is essential to prepare the Aussiedler(s)
for their new country and home before they come to Germany. And
together with politicians of the Opposition (CDU) SPDman Welt demands
obligatory language courses for each member of a family of Spätaussiedler(s).
So far only the head of the family had to prove his proficiency
whereas his or her family--large as a rule--could immigrate without
understanding any German. "Children and adolescents then experience
that they are mute here", says Welt. "They get a cultural
shock, and flee to their own language group. "Another idea
is to send streetworkers who speak Russian to the young "Russians"
to tear them away from their isolation and at the same time from
the beginnings of a criminal career. The financial means for integration
have been raised from 32 million DM two years ago to 53 million
DM at present. "We must not lose patience", says Welt,
"but integration takes its time."

Our appreciation is extended to Alice Morgenstern for translation of this article.

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to use any images from the GRHC website may be requested
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